Benin President Romuald Wadagni tours Togo, Niger and Ivory Coast to strengthen ties

Benin President Romuald Wadagni began a regional diplomatic tour in early June 2026, visiting neighboring states to revive cooperation and address security and trade issues. On 3 June he arrived in Lomé, Togo, where he met President of the Council Faure Gnassingbé. The leaders praised the “quality of permanent dialogue” and discussed boosting cross‑border trade, infrastructure projects and joint security patrols to curb terrorism and organised crime.

The next day Wadagni travelled to Niamey, Niger, where he and President Abdourahamane Tiani announced a joint committee to study the reopening of the Benin‑Niger border, closed since 2023. Reopening the frontier could ease logistics for the Dasa uranium mine project operated by Global Atomic, whose supply route currently bypasses Cotonou.

On 4 June the president arrived in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, meeting President Alassane Ouattara. The two heads of state discussed deeper economic integration, regional peace and the prospects of a freer movement of people, goods and services within the ECOWAS zone. Wadagni thanked his hosts and reiterated his commitment to a dialogue‑based, cooperative West African future.

The tour also included brief stops in Nigeria and Burkina Faso, underscoring Benin’s focus on normalising relations with all neighbours, removing trade obstacles and strengthening collective security across the sub‑region.